Author's Note: I won't apologize for my delay again because I've been doing that to all my fics whenever I update. Anyway, I will just hope that you guys will understand that I'm currently writing four fics right now (one is in my site since NC-17 is not accepted in ff.net) and as much as I want to update this fic weekly, I cannot because I still need to update my other fics. And I cannot update more than once a week because my studies won't permit me to do that. Updating one of them at least once a week is already hard for me. Thank you for understanding, but as a consolation, I won't abandon this fic so that your patience for my updates won't be wasted.

Thanks for those who reviewed!!!

Luna Stargazer, Kohaku Hoshi, Princess Sapphire, Killing Perfection, shelby7, shikonstardemon, MIKO gurl, mutsumi, Lady Nightshade, Kri, Ice-Angel/4.Septh.Ti, junyortrakr, Mizustarangel, FallenStarDust, eunc, LitaMinamino, ShadowCat14, Miss L, I won't tell, Raine, E.B. 3390, schizofraggle615, Cheeto, Dark Pixie, Animechick8, Chronicled Realms, Grand Master FFX, Usagi-Chan=P, Kio, I-Steph-chan-I, Ravyn Nix

DISCLAIMERS APPLIED!!!

CHAPTER 10: Dividing the Forces

The estate was in chaos two days later.

The people are rushing back and forth the kitsune's home, hoping that they won't run to any of their lords who seem to be in the worst mood they've ever seen.

The slight stare could set Kuronue's temper flaring, he had been agitated and nervous, as if expecting trouble anytime and had been yelling more often than he used to that even the higher ranking troops dreaded to see him.

Olic, that day, was seen by the confused people running towards the home, yelling, "sire, sire!" Those who witnessed this only shook their heads, already expecting to see Olic in the dungeons an hour or so after for being too loud.

However, that isn't the case. Olic rushed inside and, because he's running to fast, he never saw Naomi coming and ran straight to her, both of them falling to the ground.

"What on earth is wrong with you?" Naomi asked as she stood up, rubbing her bottom, a frown appearing on her pretty face.

"I apologize. I need to see the Lord Kuronue," Olic said, as he, too, stood up, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Oh, no," Naomi said, her frown deepening. "You're going to see him again without an appointment? He's going to have my head on a plate for sure."

"Of course not, Naomi," Olic said cheerfully. "And what do you mean 'again'? I had a reason to disturb his sleep the last time."

Naomi glared at him. "And do you have a reason again?"

"Of course." Olic said proudly.

"Well, let's hear it."

"I can't, it's important that Lord Kuronue hear it first," Olic said, then smirked at Naomi.

To his utter amazement, Naomi smirked at him, too. "Well, I won't let you see him without knowing your reason. He's having a meeting with a number of soldiers and I won't let you interrupt them."

"But this is important," Olic said impatiently.

"So you say," Naomi said, then turned her back on him, determined not to waste any more time with the stupid guard when Olic grabbed her arm and turned her around.

"Alright, I'll tell you," Olic said as he looked straight in the eye that Naomi's heart began to beat wildly. What on earth is the matter with me? she wondered.

"The Lord Kurama is back and Lord Kuronue is needed there to welcome him," Olic said softly, as he continued to stare at her; he had never realized that Naomi is rather pretty.

Well, his mind reasoned, how would he notice her when every time he sees her, she's always frowning at her and nagging her like a wife would.

He shivered and let go of her arm. A wife? What the hell was he thinking? He shouldn't think about making her his wife, right? Because if he did consider the possibility, he would never know peace again because she would surely nag him till he dies.

So he looked away from her and cleared his throat. "So, where's the Lord Kuronue?"

But Naomi just continued to stare at nothingness with that look on her face that Olic suddenly began to worry about her. "Naomi!" he yelled and shook her lightly.

"What?" Naomi asked, surprised. "What did you say?" she asked in a very unnatural high pitch, Olic couldn't help but smirk arrogantly at her. He rattled her, he knew.

"I said the Lord of the keep is back, and Lord Kuronue is needed there to welcome his return," he said and smiled naughtily at her.

"Oh. I see," Naomi said and shook her head as if to clear her mind. "Go that way," she said and pointed at the door at the far left.

When she saw Olic nodded, she turned around to walk away when Olic grabbed her hand. "What?" she asked.

"Can I visit your chamber tonight?" he asked her and smiled.

And lord, he had a great smile that made her return the favor to him. "Not in your dreams, buddy," she said, as her smile was replaced by a smirk.

Olic chuckled and before she knew it, he kissed her cheek and walked away, leaving her dazed for a minute.

*-*

"Oh, it's you again. What do you want this time?" Kuronue asked as soon as Olic entered, the meeting having been adjourned ten seconds before he came.

"I bring you some news, sire," Olic said and bowed before him when Kuronue nodded.

"Go on."

"The Lord Kurama had returned. He would be arriving any minute now, sire," Olic said.

Kuronue only nodded and looked at Olic, as if measuring him. This past few days, Olic proved to be improving very quickly; quicker than his fellow third-class troops. He might be facing his promotion really soon.

"How is your training with Noriem?" Kuronue asked instead, as he looked at the reports Noriem had just left for him to read.

"It is good, sire," Olic said, unsure of what it meant. Here he is, reporting to his lord that the owner of the keep had returned and all he asked is how the training is? Surely his Lord Kuronue isn't going over the edge over what had happened around here, right?

"That's good to hear. Work really hard, you might get promoted sooner than you expected," Kuronue said and looked at the report again that he didn't saw Olic's eyes widened.

"Yes, sire!"

"The kitsune had entered his home, I should be welcoming him now," Kuronue said as he stood up. But before he could take five steps, the door to the Grand Hall opened and in comes Kurama, looking really really pissed off.

"There you are!" Kurama barked at Kuronue, "What the hell have you been thinking, sending a second-class soldier? He made so much noise and didn't even conceal his ki. He almost got all of us killed!"

"There was no one else to send. The estate would be in vulnerable position if I send out one more first-class soldier," Kuronue reasoned out, then, feeling none of Reilan's ki, "Where's Rei?"

The kitsune shot him a glare, "he went to the healer, an arrow hit him. Another inch and he would have been killed."

Kuronue looked away guiltily, he knew all of these are his fault, if he hadn't been that incompetent, but then, "wait a minute, you didn't tend for him yourself?" he asked, confused.

As far as he can remember, when one of them had been injured in one way or another, it was the kitsune who looked after them because he's a better healer than the town doctor.

Kurama only shrugged at him. "Need you ask? We were so busy keeping ourselves alive and by the time we got here, I hurried here to know what the hell happened for you to summon us back quickly."

"Ah," Kuronue said, "and the messenger?"

"It was a clean shot. He died even before he could hit the ground," he said almost nonchalantly but Kuronue saw the regret in his friend's eyes. Kurama never liked the idea of knowing that one of his people died.

That's why Kurama made it a point to make his troops train hard, for them to be able to survive.

Then Kurama looked at him sternly," Hey, are you going to tell me what happened here or not?"

At that, Kuronue took a deep breath, then caught site of Olic still standing at the corner, only waiting for a command to be given to him.

"Olic?" Kuronue called and Olic straightened his stance even more. "Yes, sire?"

"Do you want to have a son and leave the world a legacy someday?" Kuronue asked.

If ever he find the question odd, he never got the time to contemplate it because an image of Naomi swollen with child flashed through his mind.

"I gathered you do," Kuronue muttered to himself, "well, get the hell out of here if you don't want this very angry kitsune to kill you accidentally."

At what he heard, Olic scurried away, knowing that the kitsune would lose his temper once he heard about what had happened to his wife.

"Well?"

"You're wife is missing," Kuronue said flatly.

"Again?" Kurama asked, his ears twitching, "since when?"

"A couple of days ago," Kuronue mumbled, but with the kitsune's keen hearing, he knew he heard him.

"What?" Kurama bellowed, his ki exploding. "What the hell had been happening while I'm away?"

"Raizen's troops went to claim Botan," Kuronue began and when Kurama opened his mouth to say something, he continued, "they said they would declare war if we did not give your wife to them."

"Bloody hell," Kurama cursed loudly. "And what did you do?"

"Of course, I told them 'no'," Kuronue said indignantly. Well, what did he expect? That I gave his wife to those morons? Baka!

"So, they took them with her by force?" Kurama asked, his ears twitching again.

"Don't be ridiculous," Kuronue snapped, "Of course, I kept an eye on them. They left the fortress without any trouble stirring."

"And so, what does my wife had to do with it?" Kurama asked impatiently.

"Olic said she might have heard everything and in fear of the war brewing, left the estate," Kuronue said and instinctively took a step backward for fear that his friend's anger would be poured on him.

Contrary to what Kuronue expected, Kurama only frowned at him. "She left because she's afraid we can't protect her?"

"Uh, I don't think we're seeing things in the same wavelength. I think she left in order to stop the war from happening. I think she left to go to the Raizen's," Kuronue said.

"Stupid woman," Kurama muttered, "and you didn't know she's planning to do this?"

"How should I know?" Kuronue grumbled. "The entire night passed by before I could find out she'd taken her leave."

"What?" Kurama bellowed so loudly that Kuronue was sure he would never be able to hear the same way again. "You've been in that second highest position in this estate for how many centuries and my wife got past you?"

"I know, I know," Kuronue admitted. "I take full responsibility of what had happened around here. In fact, it won't surprise me if you remove me in my position," Kuronue said, all the while thinking how in the world could he possibly survive the humiliation of being removed from his position.

But Kurama only glared at him. "I'm just angry, Kuron; not stupid enough to remove you. Now, you will tell me that you've done something to find my insolent wife, right?" Kurama asked coldly that Kuronue was glad that he could agree to what he said.

"Hai. I've sent some of our first-class soldiers to look for her. That would explain the low defense on our estate right now," Kuronue said.

"She's still not found?" Kurama asked, confused as he scanned Noriem's latest report on the conditions of the cubs. On the outside, he looked like a calm man who didn't care at all that his wife is missing.

The inside is a very different matter. He was doing everything in his power to sit still and listen to the situation on hand before he plan his course of action.

It was difficult. His mind is racing with the different possibilities that his wife is hurt that his attention left where he was, until Kuronue waved his hand in front of his face.

"Yo, kitsune? What the hell are you doing zoning out like that?" Kuronue asked, mildly irritated.

"I apologize. What were you saying again?" Kurama asked.

"Not yet. The woman hid her ki very well, I didn't know if I should be impressed or annoyed. She covered her traces well," Kuronue said and sighed. Now, Kurama would no doubt think he's stupid.

"Alright, I'll look for her," Kurama said and stood up, ready to leave.

"There's something else, kitsune," Kuronue said that stopped Kurama from his already stated departure.

"What? There's something else?" Kurama asked, irritated. "I swear, Kuron, where have you been all the time when we were away?" How come all these trouble happened all the time when we're away?"

"Well, I'm deeply sorry if your wife had the knack of attracting trouble to the estate," Kuronue said sarcastically now that the threat of the kitsune unleashing all his power had passed.

"So, this another thing also has something to do with my wife?" Kurama asked and Kuronue nodded as he handed his mistress's family's letter to him.

"Bloody hell," Kurama cursed after, then returned the letter to Kuronue. "Tell Reilan that he's in charge, all right? You go and intercept Yukina and bring her here. My wife won't be too happy if she find out that her sister would be married to that greedy fool."

Kuronue paled at what he heard. "Why me? Can't Reilan go and bring Yukina here?" he croaked like a frog that Kurama frowned at him.

It looks like his fearless friend, is now trembling because of this very simple mission. Is he missing out on something? "What seems to be the problem, Kuron?"

"Nothing. Can't Reilan go?"

Kurama looked at him, thoroughly annoyed. "Look, Reilan still haven't recovered from his injury so it's your turn to go out. Besides, Reilan just accompanied me to the hunt. So it's his turn to take full responsibility of looking after the keep."

"That's what I'm saying. Reilan still haven't recovered from his injury, how on earth would he be able to manage the affairs of the estate?" Kuronue reasoned out logically, but inside, he's dreading to go on this mission because the psychotic idea that Yukina be married to him might just enter the mind of the kitsune.

"Have Noriem and Enki help him out. Why are you chickening out on this one, anyway?" Kurama asked.

"I'm not chickening out. It's just –" then Kuronue paused. He couldn't tell the kitsune that he's afraid he might be forced to marry Yukina because Kurama might do just that for his sadistic amusement.

And though Kurama is not like that, you know, take amusement in other's people's misery, he might really believe that getting him (Kuronue) married to Yukina is like doing a favor to his dear friend, Kuronue. No, he wouldn't tell that to the kitsune. "Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"Are you sure you're alright? You look a little pale," Kurama asked, his frown of annoyance replaced by a look of concern. True, though he's the owner of the keep and is always busy with many things, he'd always considered the welfare of his friends.

"Yeah, just a couple of missed meals and sleepless nights. I thought you're going to skin me alive once you found out your wife's gone," Kuronue admitted.

Kurama had to chuckle at that. "Yeah, maybe," he said, then as if remembering something, "Are you sure that's about it? I could just send a few first class to fetch Yukina."

Though he wanted to agree to that idea, Kuronue shook his head. After all, it is his responsibility to his mistress. He didn't think Kurama would think that marrying him to Yukina would be the perfect solution to the problem. "No need, I'll just bring a soldier or two with me. How about you?"

Kurama smiled at him wickedly. "I'd rather go alone. After all, I've got to teach my wife the proper way of saying goodbye to her lord husband," he said.

Author's Note:  Yay! Kurama's going to get Botan. This should be fun, lol. So you better review to inspire me to write the next chapter really fast!

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